Columnist

YOU may well see tomorrow night a story done for Channel Seven’s Sunday Night program over the Christmas holidays by your humble correspondent on the effects of ongoing concussion on sportspeople. It is, far and away, the most troubling story I’ve ever covered. The guts of it is this: while you and I have long thought that it is only boxers who get punch-drunk, there is dinkum a growing body of evidence that whole swaths of ex-footballers are also suffering, with everything from symptoms of early onset of dementia, depression, short-term and long-term memory loss, uncontrollable outbursts of anger and a total inability to concentrate.

Greg Williams, the 49-year-old dual Brownlow medallist, cannot remember a single detail from his honeymoon, doesn’t know the middle names of his own children – and much worse. Even though more than a decade younger, Shaun Valentine, the former Cowboys prop, is as bad. Both were tested in Melbourne by a brain expert, who confirmed brain malfunction. And it is not just them, of course. Although he wouldn’t talk – and I respect his privacy – a major NRL star of the ’90s known for his toughness in Origin matches and giving and taking punishment in spades is suffering badly, and rarely goes out in public. And there are hundreds if not thousands more, of course – including, maybe, you and me. When I travelled to Richmond, Virginia, to interview a world expert in the field, I asked him what percentage of people like me, who played heavy contact sport for more than 20 years, would have some damage done to the brain by concussions, he waved a dismissive hand: “One hundred per cent. No exceptions.” Thanks, Doc. (Waiter! Bring me four Bex!) The two serious messages I hope come out of it is this: concussion is not just when you get knocked out.

What does enormous amounts of damage is constant “sub-concussive impacts”, the hits that don’t knock you out, but ring your bell. And the second thing is that it is INSANE – and now demonstrably medically negligent – for people who have been concussed to take the field the following week. The answer from another expert in the field as to when it was safe to go back on the field after concussion was “50 years”. His point was that the brain is simply not meant to be rattled the way it is all too frequently in sports, and it is crazy for tough guys to demonstrate that toughness by shaking off a concussion and turning out next week. For the results are now there for all to see – a confirmed epidemic among retired NFL players, one of whom – John Hilton of the Pittsburgh Steelers – I interviewed. As to Australia, we’ll see. But it shook me up and firmed up my belief that the Four Corners story last year on the same broad subject of concussion in sport was dead right – it is time we all took the subject seriously.

TIME TO REGROUP

Where to from here for James Magnussen? Rarely, if ever, in Australian sporting history have we seen a young man on such an extraordinary roller-coaster ride of alternate public acclaim and derision. This time last year he suddenly burst into the public focus as “The Missile,” the fastest swimmer in the world ever over 100metres, the hope of the nation in the Olympics. Then, of course, the failure to win gold in the 4x100m relay and his subsequent behaviour made the cheers turn to jeers, as did his silver medal placing by a mere hundredth of a second in the 100m individual freestyle. Still, he seemed like such a good bloke, that again the public warmed to him until ... On Friday he acknowledged taking Stilnox and waking other team members before the Olympic races, he again finds his reputation at a low ebb. To look at him sweating in that press conference on Friday, he looked as if he regretted ever taking up swimming in the first place. But, for what it’s worth, I believe he will be back. He is obviously a fantastic swimmer and, left to his own devices, a good man. At this point it is obvious he has not coped well with the pressures that went with his position. But if he can use this roller-coaster as the learning curve to beat them all, put all this behind him, and focus on what made him great in the first place, he will be stronger than ever, and triumph in the end. James, it’s only sport, and you’re still so young it’s ludicrous. Start again. Old men say, “If only I could have known then, what I know now.” You’re still a young man, and now do know that! Yes, all your dreams are badly bent, but nothing is broken. Go with that.

TATTS FOR TOTS

If you can accept that men are just little boys in long pants, does it not also make sense that footballers with tattoos up and down both arms have done so because of the same dynamic that makes bored little boys draw on their own arms with pens? Discuss. Send angry tweets. See if I care!

GO THE TAHS!

Tonight’s the night! Oh yeah, verily, although for too long we Waratahs supporters have walked in the shadow of the Valley of Death, tonight, as the Sky Blue warriors of our own fair land play the Redmen tribe who live in the scungy flatlands north of the Tweed, we will see the Promised Land! That is, we will see a smart, tough, forward pack with as little interest in collapsing scrums as they do in advancing the ball five centimetres at a time, because what they really want to do is first get the ball to the cougar backs who will swing it wide like mad things, to break up the defence, and then the forwards can thunder ahead like thirsty wild elephants who have just smelt water up beyond the try line. Linking superbly, elephants and cougars, cougars and elephants, time and again they will stomp and savage the Redmen into submission, as the scoreboard ticks over. Together, the whole Waratahs team will play with a combination of wild joy at the privilege to be able to play in such a game, and desperate passion to win it! They will do us proud. (I certainly hope so, anyway.)WHAT THEY SAID

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WHAT THEY SAID

ABC TV reporter live from South Africa, with the latest on the Oscar Pistorius case, to Juanita Phillips: “The judge has decided Pistorius should be charged with premedicated murder.” The courts will decide, but there does appear to be a growing view that whatever happened, was indeed premedicated.

ABC sports commentator Gerry Collins on ABC Radio, regarding the excitement surrounding the coming British & Irish Lions tour of Australia: “It would be great, if it could all come down to a last minute penalty goal in the last and deciding Test match . . .” No, Gerry. To get rugby back on track, nothing less than a try in the last minute will do. To the Wallabies.

Report on the Australian Swimming Team at last year's Olympics: “There were enough culturally toxic incidents across enough team members . . . to warrant a strong, collective leadership response that included coaches, staff and the swimmers. No such collective action was taken.”

Serena Williams on still playing professional tennis at 31. “I don't know where the time went. I never, never, never thought I would still be out here, but I have nothing else to do. I'm pretty good at tennis still, so why not? I'd just rather I didn't sit at home all day.”

David Warner on playing all three forms of cricket for Australia: “I look at all these guys having kids at the moment and I think 'Gee when am I going to get a break to try and do that?' ” Only needs 15 minutes, Dave. Okay, okay, 10. Oh all right, you got me — five. At least two, anyway!

Former Tour de France cyclist Christophe Bassons, who retired because he refused to dope, in his book Seven Deadly Sins: “The spotlight should not be on Lance Armstrong [following his confession] but on a sport that is still gangrenous with doping and deceit. The Tour de France 2012 did not reassure me.”

Michael Jordan, who turned 50 this week, on what it's like to be retired: “Man, I wish I was playing right now. I would give up everything now to go back and play the game of basketball.” “How do you replace it?” he is asked. “You don't. You learn to live with it.”

Arthur Morris on Twenty20 cricket: “I don't watch the Twenty . . . what is it? I was asked a while ago if I'd watch it, and said I would, so long as it didn't clash with The Bold and the Beautiful.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on why his sport allows no gambling advertising at games or during coverage: “We want to protect our game and make sure that the people believe that what they see is not influenced by anything from the outside. Gambling is at the heart of that.” It is for this reason that Las Vegas has no professional sports franchises, because no well-run sports want their image besmirched by the gambling brand.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

The Waratahs. Start their season on Saturday night against Queensland, in Brissie. RAH!

Australian women's cricket team. World Cup champions again, after thrilling victory over the West Indies.

Ellyse Perry. Despite being injured, scored 25 runs and took three wickets in three overs to help guide Australia to a great victory in the World Cup.

Jesse Mogg. If you called Central Casting and said send me over a Wallabies fullback, and he turned up, you might feel undersold. But wait till you see him play like he did for the Brumbies last weekend. Outstanding!

Black Caviar. Can't follow it and don't care, but it has done something fabulous again which means the racing folk are all a'twitter, claiming it to be perhaps the best racehorse of all time. I reckon it's still just a horse, though.

SPC Goulburn Old Boys. Twenty-year reunion for the Class of 1993 happening on the weekend of June 7-8. All former old boys and teachers are urged to get in touch with either “Black Jack” Booligan or Steven.adamson@team.telstra.com

Moises Henriques. The 432nd cricketer to wear the baggy green.

Loreto Kirribilli Year 8 coxed quad rowing team. Despite having only started rowing six months ago, last Sunday it won the state title. Brava Poppy Wills, Sophie De Angelis, Elise Dixon, Tara Rigney, Charlotte Shackley and coach Brynne Allen. Sydney girls, coming on strong like thunder. See them pull, see them glide, see them win.

Bruce Gallaher. Eighty-year-old “Poppa” is looking for a rugby team to join in Turin at the World Masters Games. Anyone interested in having him, gissa yell and I will put you in touch. And on yers.

Marc Simone. The 45-year-old father-of-two killed while out on a training ride. He was planning to cycle 4000 kilometres to Darwin to raise $100,000 for Mission Australia.

Norm Tasker. It is a measure of the respect with which the former journalist and editor is regarded across sports that not only was he on the panel to select the next rugby league “Immortal”, but also on the panel to choose rugby union's forthcoming “Invincibles”.

Twitter: @Peter_Fitzsimons

12 comments so far

Dear TFFWhaddabout rugby scrums. Now we have crouch touch set smash last year crouch touch set engage smash how dumb is this for front row brain injury. You may or may not remember when the packs had to all join or bind and then the front rows used to arm wrestle to position. It's worth a look at the 1990 Calcutta cup game (be still my ancient Scottish heart) for how quickly this could be done without any serious head clashes.........just requires a good (Aussie) ref to manage.Go the brumbies and happy to sing Flower of Scotland whenever you wish!

Commenter

Gregorovich

Location

Canberra

Date and time

February 22, 2013, 11:22PM

It would've been a crouch, touch, pause, engage 'smash" last year, and I don't recall the front row smashing their heads against each other, more like shoulders...

Commenter

JuayD

Date and time

February 23, 2013, 8:29AM

If Jesse Mogg doesn't have a yellOw 15 on his back by the end of the season there should be a royal commission

Commenter

Andrew

Date and time

February 23, 2013, 4:36AM

Agreed. He was sensational last night. Been a while since the Wallabies have had a dynamic Fullback...... good ones sure..... but not potent like he is.

Commenter

Lizzar

Location

Qld

Date and time

February 23, 2013, 8:47AM

Yellow? Are you Quade Cooper in disguise?

Commenter

boyo

Date and time

February 23, 2013, 1:44PM

Further to your comments about cyclists and their silence, you might be inetrested in what Brad Wiggins had to say in an interview with the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jan/24/bradley-wiggins-lance-armstrong

"He said Armstrong's contention to Winfrey that he had raced clean in 2009 and 2010, when he made a comeback to ride the Tour, had upset him the most.

"I thought, 'You lying bastard'. The man I saw [in the 2009 Tour, struggling] on top of [the summit finish at] Verbier and the man I saw a week later on the Ventoux" – on the penultimate stage of the Tour when Armstrong put time into Wiggins – "wasn't the same bike rider. I don't believe anything that comes out of his mouth anymore.""

Commenter

Wizardofaus

Location

France

Date and time

February 23, 2013, 8:41AM

The number of tattoos is inversely proportional to IQ

Commenter

Stephen

Location

Sydney

Date and time

February 23, 2013, 10:01AM

Peter, all well and good, but here's the rub... there's one drug that shows enormous promise in preventing long term concussion brain damage. If it's administered to a player within an hour of the injury, it appears it may aid the healing process. The drug is Testosterone... yes, the same Testosterone banned by WADA, ASADA and all the other ADAs.

The paranoia and hysteria about drugs in sport may be having a catastrophic effect on footballers' lives, and for what? So poor nations can compete with rich nations at the Olympics? I'm sorry, most football codes are closed ecosystems. An ARL, AFL, NFL or ARU footballer is extremely unlikely to ever represent their country outside that ecosystem. Why shouldn't players have access to medical technology that can prevent long term injury, or even accelerate recovery?

It's time we had a sensible debate about the disproportionate power WADA and ASADA have in our community. It's time we put "performance enhancing" into perspective, because there is a legitimate question about where a line is drawn. Do we ban footballers from taking vitamins? Yes? Great... shorten their lives even further. Do we ban them from using whey protein? Why not... it's not "natural" in the form it's taken.

Cumulative concussive brain damage is horrendous, as you point out, but to deny that footballer access to a potential treatment that might prevent long term damage just because some bureaucrat deems it illegal is depraved indifference.

Commenter

Chester The Bear

Date and time

February 23, 2013, 1:45PM

some people bear tatts, some people wear bandanas - what"s the difference?

Commenter

bobbymcg

Date and time

February 23, 2013, 5:42PM

James Magnussen and others behaved like dh's which is understandable since he is a 20 yr old male and I was one once. The difference is, that I wasn't paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention air fares, meals etc to perform to the best of my ability, and provide a shining example to young kids to ancourage them to get off the lounge and do something healthy. If I behaved like that at work, I would be fired, and anyone receiving funding to be a sports person should consider themselves to be an employee and perform accordingly.